Lauren Berger, a 2002 Countryside High School graduate, appeared on the Today Show on January 5th, 2012 to talk about the importance of internships and her new book “All Work and No Pay”.  Lauren, also known as the Intern Queen, has completed 15 internships during her four years of college and has now started her own business helping others get internships.

Venice               28

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St. Petersburg     14

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Part 1:

Part 2:

This footage was recorded live off the tv on September 11th, 2001.  We did have a minor technical issue plus the footage is on a 10 year old tape, so the quality isn’t very good.  Also we do not own the copyright for this footage.

Countryside      35

Boca Ciega         17

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For three consecutive seasons, BocaCiega and Countryside have produced one of the most entertaining games on the regular-season slate.

In all three, Countryside staked itself to a lead only to watch  as the Pirates rallied  in the fourth quarter.

The past two years, Boca Ciegahad the ball with a chance to tie or win on the game’s last possession but fell short.

This year’s opener nearly reached that point. Boca Ciegalanded a few haymakers  in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars had the knockout blow in a 35-17 season-opening victory.

“We finished,” Countryside coach Jared Davis said. “…I’m proud of them for finishing the game and, really, excelling in the fourth quarter.”

Countryside  entered the last quarter with a 21-10 lead, but Boca Ciegaclimbed within a possession after an 11-play, 59-yard drive capped by a 3-yard run on fourth and goal by Denzal Dillard. That drive was aided by a roughing-the-kicker call on Countryside after the Cougars had stopped the Pirates three and out.

On the first play of the ensuing possession, Countryside’s Diomi Roberts fumbled, handing the ball back to the Pirates on their 47-yard line with six minutes remaining. Boca Ciega took the ball to the Countryside 41, but a 9-yard tackle for loss by the Cougars’ Mike Love snuffed out that scoring chance. On fourth down, a blocked punt gave Countryside possession near midfield.

“The second half, it was kind of tough for us to establish drives,” first-year Boca Ciega coach Antez Brinson said.

Countryside took the clock down to three minutes, then on fourth and 1, fullback Ryan Yates  raced off left tackle 36 yards for the game-sealing touchdown.

“It was a game-changing play. It was fourth down,” Yates said. “If we didn’t get it, they could have won. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

Boca Ciega quarterback Bobby Runcie was intercepted on the next drive by Shyzzam Shackleford, who returned the ball to the Pirates’ 4-yard line. Roberts carried in on the next play to put the Cougars up 35-17.

“When the game’s on the line … our defense wants to be on the field,” Davis said. “They want the game on their backs.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Countryside’s Gray Crow hit Marrieo Taylor for a 69-yard scoring strike. Yates had a 4-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 and added a 55-yard catch-and-score in the third quarter.

Fortune Gamble had a 1-yard touchdown run, and Omar Tovar hit a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter for Boca Ciega.

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Story and Photo by tampabay.com/hometeam

Last show of the 2010-2011 school year.

Countryside    49

St. Pete             19

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The most anticipated matchup of the spring featuring the only two undefeated teams in the regular season turned out to be not much of a contest as the Cougars took control early and led 42-6 at the half. … Countryside quarterback Gray Crow operated out of a more wide-open offense that included the shotgun and five-receiver sets. He threw for 207 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. Two of Crow’s touchdown passes were to tight end A.J. Sattinger. The others were to Nico Morgado and Marrieo Taylor. There were some holes to fill on Countryside’s offensive line, but the new starters gave Crow plenty of protection. … Crow stayed in the game until the last series of the fourth quarter. … St. Petersburg was missing seven starters, including quarterback David Jones, who strained his hamstring during track season and was held out for precautionary measures. … Keegan Oberholzer started at quarterback for the Green Devils and threw a touchdown pass to Dallas Paletti in the first quarter. Oberholzer also scored on a quarterback sneak in the third quarter. Deangelo Reeves scored St. Petersburg’s final touchdown on a 3-yard run. … This is a rematch of last year’s spring game that the Green Devils won. Both teams will be playing in the same district and meet again in the final game of the regular season.

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Canterbury               1

SCORE BY INNING

Canterbury’s season opener against Countryside was just the kind of game coach Jody Moore envisioned.

A tough one.

For the first time in her six years at the school, Moore was able to schedule a Pinellas County public school team in a regular-season game.

It was a game that came down to the end Tuesday with the Cougars preserving a 2-1 win on Sommer Pollard’s throw home to catcher Hailee Keisling, who put the tag on the Crusaders’ Savvy Mitchell for the final out in the seventh inning.

“We always want to play up against stronger opposition,” said Moore, who guided Canterbury to the Class A state tournament for the second straight season last year. “We’re thankful for Countryside giving us the opportunity.”

It also was a tough test for the Cougars, who have nine freshmen on the roster, including four starters.

One of the starters was pitcher Eryn Rowe, who shook off a rough start to pick up her third win. In the first inning, Rowe hit leadoff batter Sarah Fleming, who stole second then scored on an error to give Canterbury a 1-0 lead.

Countryside (3-0) tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Keisling singled then scored on an error.

Keisling helped keep the Crusaders off the bases by throwing out four runners.

“I’m a coach that likes to take some chances,” Moore said. “We kept sending the runner, but Countryside made some plays behind the plate.”

The winning run came in the fifth inning when Pollard doubled, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ayanna Andrews and scored on an error.

“This was a good game for us,” Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly said. “Canterbury is a good team that’s made the final four a few years. We have a young team and this gives us some confidence.”

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West Orange          1

SCORE BY PERIOD

Countryside goalkeeper Danny George could think of just one thing Friday when the head referee held up one finger in the Class 6A region semifinal against Winter Garden West Orange.

“This is going to be the longest minute I’ve ever had to experience,” George said.

With the Cougars clinging to a 2-1 lead, George was correct as the Warriors sent every player forward, including keeper Juan Fajardo. George was peppered with one shot after another — five in the final minute — until at last the final whistle sounded, setting off a wild celebration by fans and players at midfield.

“I just didn’t want anything like the Plant game to happen again,” George said in reference to last season’s heartbreaker in which Countryside allowed Plant to score in the final minute of regulation then in overtime in a 2-1 defeat in the region semifinals. “We’ve worked so hard to get back to this point and beyond, I don’t think I could have taken it if the same thing happened again.”

The Cougars (23-1-1), No. 9 in the ESPN Rise poll, got off to a slow start then broke through early in the second half when Taylor Cook found Nikolai Hammer open at the top of the goalmouth and Hammer easily put it past Fajardo.

Countryside’s next goal with eight minutes to play typified the way the Cougars have played all season as Dalton Martinez received a pass from his brother, Jagger, and took the ball into the corner, where he chipped a cross over to the middle part of the penalty box. Derya Ekren, with his back to the goal, did a mini-bicycle kick sending the ball into the left corner of the goal.

The Warriors (13-2-1) made the game interesting 25 seconds later when Evan Cartwright put in a header off a cross on a corner kick by Camillo Villa.

“It’s been tough because we’ve had the talent but for whatever reason, we haven’t been able to capitalize on it,” Countryside coach Dave Sica said. “We’ve faced adversity throughout the year and from season to season, but when this group decides to work, they’re capable of achieving big things.”

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